Emergency #3

Part of Zéphyr Éditions' gripping French series Les Histoires Authentiques de l'Aéronautique, this third installment puts aviation drama front and center — literally. The cover is dominated by a helmeted pilot's wide-eyed, tension-filled face looming large against a backdrop of fire and atmosphere, while a sleek military jet streaks earthward in a moment that radiates pure, visceral urgency. If the first two issues proved the series has a knack for capturing the raw human stakes of aeronautical history, this 2012 entry looks every bit as intense.